The Jazz made two different calls on two young pieces of their roster, and the split says plenty about where each player stands right now.
Utah is picking up Ace Bailey’s third-year option while turning down Isaiah Collier’s fourth-year option, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Both decisions will affect the Jazz’s cap sheet next season.
Bailey’s choice was the easy one. The 6’9″ small forward, taken fifth overall in last year’s draft, is now set to earn a little under $10MM in 2027/28. In his rookie season, the former Rutgers wing put up 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting .443/.344/.750 in 27.6 minutes across 72 appearances, including 61 starts.
He’s opened this season with more responsibility, too. Through six games, Bailey is averaging 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks in 30.8 minutes a night, shooting .500/.292/.750. He has started five of those six games while Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr. have dealt with frontcourt injuries.
Collier’s situation is much more surprising. Utah declined the 22-year-old point guard’s $5MM option for next season even though he has shown some useful traits, including the ability to get to the line, finish in the paint and create for others. He has averaged 9.4 assists per 36 minutes, but his shooting remains a major issue: he has made just 69 of 277 three-point attempts, and he’s at 69.6% from the free-throw line.
Last season, Collier appeared in 59 games and averaged 11.7 points, 7.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. He shot 49.5% from the field and 54.9% on two-pointers.
The advanced numbers have been far less flattering. Several all-in-one metrics were very low on Collier’s 2025/26 performance, and his on/off figures were especially rough. Utah was minus-13.2 per 100 possessions with him on the floor, compared to minus-4.8 when he sat.
That same trend has shown up again early this season, though the sample is tiny and the Jazz are off to a 1-5 start. Utah’s offensive and defensive ratings have both been worse with Collier on the court in 2026/27 as well.
Collier will head to unrestricted free agency this summer, and whichever team has him at the end of the 2026/27 season will not be able to offer a starting salary above the amount of the option Utah just declined. Shreyas Laddha of The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Collier has taken the news well, and that the Jazz will keep evaluating him throughout his third season.
Utah has until November 1, 2027 to decide on Bailey’s fourth-year option.
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